A Real Family
by Irish Rose1
Summary: Robert and Holly Scorpio have been living apart for years, but they're still legally married. When he suddenly shows up at her door with a request to end it, their lives change in a way neither expect. Needless to say, this is an AU set around 2006.
1. A Real Family

She didn't know who was more surprised when she found out she was pregnant; her or Robert because she'd come to the point in her life when children seemed unlikely. But when Nanny told her the things she needed to know all those years ago, she'd told her that just because a woman was going through her change of life, didn't mean she couldn't conceive.

And at that moment, Holly could not conceive of the idea that she and Robert were finally going to have a child together.

She kept telling herself that it had been a dreadful idea to let him into her house when he'd showed up unexpectedly on her doorstep that evening. She'd been feeling particularly melancholy that night, remembering a long ago life with him in Port Charles and from the look on his face, he seemed to have been remembering it, too.

It hadn't even occurred to her until later the next day that he'd known where she lived, even though she'd never told him. But if there was one thing she knew about Robert Scorpio was that he had the contacts and resources to find just about _any_one; and it was truly a surprise that he'd wanted to find _her_.

He'd showed up around tea time and though she was sure he'd refuse, invited him to join her even when she wasn't entirely sure she wanted him there; but he'd accepted. Tea time then became dinner which stretched into a couple of nightcaps topped off with them dancing.

It was all too familiar and comfortable when she found herself being held close in his arms and for the first time in a very long time, felt safe. And when the one song she'd refused to listen to after all their years apart began to play, she felt him tense and was absolutely certain the evening was about to end:

"_Night and Day, you are the one;_

_Only you beneath the moon and under the sun…" _

She got the most peculiar feeling that he was fighting a battle with himself; whether to reject the past or embrace it. And when his lips sought out hers and he kissed her, he'd apparently decided to embrace it.

But even as her arms wound around his neck and she kissed him back, she knew it was wrong to give into her love for him because she had no idea how he felt about her. Nevertheless, she willingly assisted him in finding the way to her bedroom and then made love with him as though no time had passed. And lord knew that being in his arms, feeling him so close was something she never thought she'd ever experience again.

Waking up with him the next morning, she felt like the young woman she'd once been; so deeply in love. He must have been feeling much the same way because the look of love she saw when he first opened his eyes kept her momentarily frozen in that time. But just as quickly, they each seemed to realize where they were and that they weren't those people anymore.

As they each proffered hasty apologies to the other for what had happened, they tried to get out of her bed and find their clothes without causing themselves or the other further embarrassment. They avoided any kind of eye contact as Robert collected his things and rushed for the bathroom; no doubt to dress so he could get himself out of her house as quickly as possible.

When she got the news six weeks after he walked out her front door, she couldn't decide if it was luck, or fate that had him back in London that day because they literally ran into each other as she was coming out of the doctor's surgery.

And for only the third time since she'd known him, he blushed. If she hadn't been so startled at seeing him right in front of her, she might have laughed at the sight he made. But instead she took in a deep, nervous breath and told him that they needed to talk.

_You might as well get on with it, Holly._

She'd forgotten that he knew London about as well as she did when he suggested a tea shop just up the road. And when they'd gotten settled and ordered a pot, she started to shake terribly.

It would have been one thing to tell him that she was carrying their child when they were still together because she knew how over the moon he would have been. It was her biggest regret that she'd never had that experience, to see the look on his face when he realized that they were going to be a real family.

Instead, she sat across from him that foggy morning in the cozy warmth of the small shop wondering how she was going to tell him. She pulled a handkerchief out of her handbag to give her hands something to do, a nervous gesture since childhood and when she took another breath, she started to cry.

"Holly, please don't." His voice was low and almost pleading. "I can deal with anything but that."

"I'm sorry." She shook her head, trying to compose herself as she dabbed at her eyes. "This is just so unexpected."

"I know." He agreed with a nod. "London can be an awfully big city until you run into someone-"

"You don't want to?" She finished his sentence for him, the hurt squeezing her heart.

"I was _going_ to say, someone you weren't expecting." He scolded her gently. "And I certainly wasn't expecting to see you."

"I think somewhere fate is laughing at us." She dried her eyes and took one more breath before she found the courage to look up at him and into the blue eyes that she still saw in her dreams.

"What do you mean?" He asked her as he sat straight back in his chair. It was a posture she remembered well; he was preparing himself for what she was about to tell him.

"I've been to see my doctor." She started and then hesitated before she began again. "I haven't been feeling well lately and thought maybe I'd caught a bug. So he did a thorough examination and when I saw him today he said that nothing was wrong."

"You were coming out of the surgery when we ran into each other." He was starting to look a little wary and Holly sensed that he might be catching on.

"Yes." She replied. "So after he examined me he decided to run some tests, just to make sure he hadn't missed anything."

It was Robert's turn to sigh; _he knew._

"You've had a pregnancy test, haven't you?"

"Yes."

"I've had the strangest feeling the last few days that something was about to happen, but I had no idea what it could be." He took a deep breath of his own and sat forward. "Six weeks."

"Yes." She was shaking again, but this time he reached across the table and laid his hand over hers. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, unless you're planning on doing something about it-" He started and Holly shook her head.

"I could never do that." Her heart was fluttering furiously. "To myself or to you."

"You do have a way of surprising me, Holly Scorpio." He sighed again. Then his demeanor changed suddenly and there was that sarcastic tone in his voice she could never abide. "Or is it still _Sutton _these days?"

"My legal name _is_ still Scorpio, Robert." She leaned forward as she quietly reminded him. "I only started going by Sutton when you were married to Anna."

He seemed to flinch at the mention of his second ill fated marriage to her.

"Holly." He curled his hand around hers and held it. It was the first time in more years than she cared to remember that he'd held her hand. "It shouldn't have been like this, you know."

"And whose fault is _that_?" Holly tugged her hand out of his grasp and couldn't help giving voice to the bitterness she felt from that time and still rubbed her raw on occasion. "_You_ were the one who chose other priorities over me."

"I did." He agreed without any argument and that rather surprised her. "And they're decisions that I've regretted for longer than I can say because I lost you."

"Well at least you realize it."

"More than you know, luv." He sighed and sat back as their pot of tea was set on the table.

"Shall I?" She asked with a gesture toward the pot and with a nod from him she picked it up to pour each of them a cup. After she set it down, she reached for the cream pitcher. "Still three drops?"

"Yes." His head dipped and she wondered what was going through his mind when he looked up and caught her eye. "You still remember after all this time."

"You'd probably be surprised _what_ I remember."

"So would you." He remarked before he picked up his cup and took a sip. A startled look flashed across his face and he set it down on the saucer so heavily that when it clattered, a number of patrons glared at him.

"You remember it?" Holly asked, quite certain that he hadn't. The decision to request the special blend whilst he'd stepped outside to take a call was one that had left her somewhat uneasy because she wasn't sure if he'd recognize it.

"It's a little difficult to forget Nanny's special blend." Robert seemed to chastise her for thinking he'd forgotten. "Robin tried to make it for me once, but as hard as she tried, she couldn't get it quite right."

"It was very sweet of her to try, though."

"Yeah, it was." He agreed and took another sip. "You know, of all the things that have gone wrong in my life she's the one thing that has always been right."

"I'm glad for you, Robert." She took a sip from her own cup, wondering if he'd ever feel the same way about _their_ child.

"The little one you're carrying is part of that, too." He still had the ability to read her mind it seemed when he reached for her hand again and held it firmly in his grip. "I did a fair bit in mucking up our marriage, but I _will_ to do better by him _or_ her."

'_If it was a boy, I think we should call it Mortimer.'_

'_She will be called Samantha.' _

"That's all that really matters." A pang of regret rushed through her and she wanted to say, _"What about us?", _but their time had long passed. And as to what they were going to do about the child she was carrying; well, there was time to make those decisions before the baby was born.

'_Let's bury that argument until the day of the blessed event.'_

'_Agreed.'_

"Who'd have thought I'd be having another child at this point in my life." He took another sip of his tea and suddenly laughed; a surprisingly happy and joyful laugh. "I'm too old for this."

"Well I'm not exactly in the blush of youth either." Holly chided him as he picked up the hand he held and kissed her fingers. The spontaneity of it startled her and him as well because he quickly set her hand back down on the table and withdrew his; _old habits. _"But there's no doubt about my having it."

"I'm glad to hear that." He nodded. "I guess the question now is; how would you feel about my popping in every now and again over the next few months?"

'_Now and again' was better than nothing_.

"I know you'd probably prefer my not hanging about, but I didn't get the chance with Robin. I'd rather not miss it this time, if you don't mind."

"You're so certain what I'm thinking." Holly lowered her eyes to look into her half filled cup before she looked up into his and had the urge to cry again; _bloody hormones. _"I would never deny you that."

"I'm sorry, Holly; but I had to ask because I feel like I don't know you anymore."

He was being honest and her heart squeezed painfully because once upon a time, he never would have felt that way. "Did it feel like you didn't know me six weeks ago?"

"Ah, luv; it was like we'd never been apart." It was Robert's turn to contemplate the contents of his cup and his hands were visibly shaking. "It felt like our wedding night all over again."

"I was so scared that night, when we finally made love." She'd never told him that before and wasn't sure why she was doing so now.

"Of me?" He sounded a little hurt and she laid a hand on his arm.

"Never of you, Sweetheart." A long ago endearment slipped out and as Holly felt her face flush, pulled her hand back. "It was what I _felt_ for you that scared me. It was so much more than what I'd ever felt for Luke and I thought I knew what love was with him.

"But your friendship, your caring and your love for me was always unconditional. And on our wedding night whilst we were dancing, I knew with all of my heart that I'd found the love of my life and that frightened me."

"You felt guilty."

"Yes." She admitted with a nod. "It didn't seem possible that I could fall in love with you so easily. And yet living with you everyday and getting to know you as someone who was more than Luke's best friend, especially after I'd lost the baby, I found myself doing exactly that."

"I felt so helpless then." He put his cup down. "And with that infuriating Baldwin case to deal with as well, I didn't feel like I was being much of a friend, let alone a husband to you."

"Robert, if it hadn't been for your forcing me to face up to what had happened; I'm not sure _what_ would have become of me."

"I didn't have a choice. You'd become an important part of my life without even trying and without my realizing it. Before you lost the child, I'd never felt the need to take care of a woman before. But seeing you in so much pain, it's all I wanted to do."

"I don't think I ever properly thanked you for seeing me through that."

"Yes, you did." He assured her. "Not with words, but with the way you became your own person. You weren't Holly Sutton anymore and you weren't Mrs. Robert Scorpio; you were just, Holly Scorpio and I was very proud of you. I was proud to be able to call myself your husband."

"You still are, my husband." She clarified quickly. "And I'm still your wife."

"I know." He picked up the teapot, refilled both of their cups and set it down again. The simple act didn't go without notice because it was the first time she could ever recall that he'd done it. "How do you feel about that?"

"How _should_ I feel?"

"Don't answer my question with a question." Robert nearly growled at her. "Holly, we're either married or we're not and what we've got right now isn't a marriage."

"It isn't even what we had at the beginning." She found herself agreeing with his assessment. "We may not have loved each other then, but at least we saw each other every day."

"Have you changed your mind about that?" Holly saw his face go a little pale.

"About what?"

"Holly."

"What?" She was almost certain he wanted to know if she still loved him, but _she_ wanted to hear him ask, just to be sure.

"Have you changed your mind; how you feel about me?" And he leaned across the table, grabbing her hand tightly; his words slow and deliberate. "Do you still love me?"

"With all my heart." Her answer was honest and direct; now came the hard part. "Do you still love _me_?"

"I love you more than life itself." He didn't hesitate and his words were equally as honest. "And my life hasn't been worth a damn since we've been apart."

"All right, we love each other." She stated it as a simple fact. "So what are we supposed to do about it, then?"

"The reason I showed up a few weeks ago was to talk to you about a divorce. It just seemed the only thing to do since I wasn't sure if you still loved me and we hadn't lived together since you left Australia."

"You left long before _I_ did, Robert."

"And I've already told you that I made a mistake." He frowned at her. "I put Anna and Robin and even the WSB ahead of you and I've been paying for it ever since."

_It wasn't all his fault, Holly._

"You said earlier that you did a fair bit in mucking up our marriage, but you weren't the only one. I ran to England to help the family when I should have stayed put and fought for you, for _us_. I should have called you the moment I came out of that coma to let you know I was alive." She looked down and put her hand on her abdomen before she looked back up at him. "I should have done this with you when we were still together."

"_I_ shouldn't have dropped everything and left you every time Anna called." He voiced his own recriminations. "And I bloody well shouldn't have gotten so involved with the WSB again."

"No use crying over spilt milk now, I suppose." She shrugged. "We can't undo the past."

"But if you'd be willing to take a chance on the future, we might just be able to change it." He put all of his cards on the table and waited. "I'm done with the WSB for good this time. I've done everything they've asked me to do and I'm under no further obligation to them."

"So what have you been doing then?"

"Traveling and consulting; doing a bit of investigating." He smiled. "And I like it. I can come and go as I please without constantly being monitored."

"Would you ever consider going back?" It was a question she wasn't sure she wanted the answer to.

"After what happened to us? Never." He held her gaze. "If I'd known all those years ago that my getting pulled back into the WSB would cost me the life I had with you, I never would have done it."

"What about your need for adventure?" She had to know exactly where she stood before she agreed to anything.

"I can still get it; but on my own terms, not someone else's." He started to run his thumb across her knuckles; in bygone days, he did it to soothe her. "I know why you're hesitating and I can't blame you for that."

"We're not the same people we were then, Robert."

"I know that and it's going to take time; but don't you think we owe it to our child to at least try?"

"Only if we do it with a clean slate." She laid her own cards on the table and waited.

"I'm getting a sense of déjà vu, here." Robert let go of her hand and sat back.

"If you truly want to do this, we start at the beginning; just like we did when we first got married."

"Rebuild the trust and see where it goes." He added with a nod. "Anything else?"

"Yes." She answered him. "We get a minister and make our vows properly this time."

He seemed to consider it and nodded again. "All right; but we're going to need witnesses."

"I'd like to ask Celia. She's been living in Paris the last few years and she could be here as soon as the arrangements can be made."

"But it's going to take my brother some time." He countered. "And he's going to have to collect our marriage license."

"We probably won't need it."

"Maybe not. But the minister may ask for it and I'd like to have it just to be safe." He sat back quietly.

"All right."

"So we're really going to do this, then?" He looked as unsure as she suddenly felt.

"It's not too late to back out." She made the offer to him, remembering the last time she'd done it.

"'Fraid not." He answered with a shake of his head. "This child of ours is going to have the both of us around for as long as you can stand me."

"That _could_ be awhile." She suddenly had the absurd urge to smile, but resisted it.

"I was hoping you'd say that." He looked to her to be relieved that she was willing to go along with him, as she had the first time. That set her mind at ease at what they were about to do and he reached across the table to take her hand in his.

And with a handshake their deal was struck.


	2. A Second Chance

He had to leave it all to Holly to make the arrangements and couldn't help but feel a stab of conscience. After all, it _was_ his bloody idea to give their marriage another go, and yet early the next morning, he was going to have to leave her. But she did seem to understand he'd only planned on being in London on business for a day and still had loose ends to tie up on his current job.

They shared a cab back to her house and didn't speak more than a dozen words to each other until they were nearly there. He was still trying to fathom that he and she were going to have a child together and regretting that it hadn't happened when they were still together; and _younger_.

_Why_ it hadn't, he still pondered on occasion. For as often as they would made love, it should have been inevitable and after he'd taken her back to Australia they'd actually started to try. But it seemed no sooner had they begun the effort, that he was being called back to Port Charles to help Anna and being drawn further back into the WSB, to boot.

She'd said she wasn't in the blush of youth and it concerned him about how it would go for her because the last time they'd been through a pregnancy together, she'd miscarried.

_This_ time though, the child was theirs and probably the only chance they'd have.

He marveled that it had happened at all because the last thing he dreamed would happen when he showed up at her door those six short weeks ago would be that he'd make love to her; _his beautiful Holly_.

Robert knew that he really should have given her fair warning that he was coming to talk to her, but he was afraid if he had told her _why,_ she would have made a run for it. It shouldn't have mattered, really because for most of their marriage, they'd lived apart. And whether he liked it or not, and he bloody well didn't, he'd always felt that thread of connection to her; a divorce would sever that.

So as he set about tracking her down and contacting a divorce lawyer in New York, a small voice in the back of his head gently cautioned him to fully think through something so permanent. And that gentle voice sounded suspiciously like his mum.

After they'd settled happily into their married life all those years ago, Robert couldn't help but wish that his folks had been able to meet Holly. He knew Dad would have taken to her right away, while Mum would have reserved judgment until she'd gotten to know her daughter-in-law better. But when she saw how much Holly loved him, she would have loved her as her own.

"Robert?" Holly's soft voice and softer touch on his hand brought him up short. "Are you all right? You haven't said much."

"Just thinking, luv." He tried to give her a smile, but couldn't quite manage it.

"Robert, we don't have to do this." She offered him an out, again. "We've lived apart for so long now that it doesn't seem fair-"

"It's not that." He caught her hand gently in his. "I was just thinking about my folks and how I would have liked it if they could have met you."

"Somehow I imagine you take after your father."

"Drove me mum crazy, it did." He was able to smile then. "Mac was more like _her_, so it all evened out, I guess."

"Yes, I suppose it did." She agreed with a smile of her own. "When he and I were taking care of Robin, I often thought that the only thing you had in common was your name because he was so different from you."

"It's odd to think that you were in the same kind of a situation with him that you were with _me_." In the rare moments of solitude, while he'd been under the thumb of the WSB, he would occasionally wonder just how close they'd gotten.

"How'd you mean?" She didn't see what he was getting at.

"You lived in the same house with him, shared your lives, looked after him as well as Robin-"

_You're sounding a bit jealous there, Scorp._

"It was never like _that_." Holly shook her head, as though to reassure him. "Our focus was on Robin and making sure that she had as normal a childhood as we could give her."

"And _our_ focus was on _your _child." He knew he didn't need to remind her.

"The difference is; _we_ were married." She _did _remind him.

"We still are." It shouldn't have pleased him as much as it did; but to his surprise, it really did.

"Yes, I know." Her face flushed a lovely shade of pink and he was hopeful that she was just as pleased. "How _is_ Robin? I haven't talked to her in awhile. "

"Fine, I suppose." He sighed and braced a hand on his knee. "She's not really talking to me right now."

"You can't really blame her." Holly moved over and sat shoulder to shoulder with him, keeping her hand tucked in his; it was a comforting gesture and he appreciated it. "She thought her father was dead. And no explanations, no matter that neither choice was fair to you, can change the grief she went through. She feels just as cheated as you did out of all the years you missed."

"What about _you_?" Robert needed to know because during a recent visit with Tiffany Donnelly she'd told him that Holly had taken the news of his fabricated death particularly hard. His friend had seen how the light had gone out of her eyes and she _was_ in a very real sense, a widow.

"What about me?" She really didn't seem to understand what he was asking and that frustrated him.

"Holly."

"Robert." And she laughed for a moment before she sobered. "It's funny how we seem to have fallen back into old patterns so easily."

"You always were a stubborn woman." He found himself chuckling in return. "It was one of the reasons I loved you so much."

"And you were always too overprotective." She countered his charge. "But it was one of the reasons I loved _you _so much. Everything you did for me was never out of a sense of duty or obligation; it was because you cared."

"I still do."

"I know." She let out a soft sigh just as the cab pulled up to the curb in front of her house. It wasn't the townhouse of course, but she'd made a nice home for herself there; _without him_. He, on the other hand; didn't really _have_ a place to call home because his home had always been with Holly.

He asked the driver to wait as he got out and offered her his hand. She responded to his gallant gesture with a shy smile as she grasped his fingers and he walked her to her door. After she'd fished her keys out of her handbag and unlocked the front door, he touched her arm. "I really don't like leaving you with all of this."

"You have a job to do, Robert; I understand that." She reached up and brushed his hair back. "I don't think I've told you yet how dashing I think you look; the gray hair suits you."

"I'm surprised I didn't have a great lot of them back in Port Charles." He sighed with mock exasperation. "Because you certainly gave me a few. The longer hair suits you, as well."

"Easier to take care of." She dropped her hand to run it through her own hair. "All I have to do is tie it back and not worry about it."

"We certainly aren't the people we left in Port Charles, are we?"

"Or Australia, for that matter."

"Or Aus." He agreed with a glance toward the cab. "Well, the meter's running so I need to get out of here. I'm at Grosvenor House until tomorrow and then I have to be gone for a few days. If you'd care to have dinner with me there, we can decide what we're going to do about living arrangements after the ceremony."

'_Are we free for dinner tonight?'_

'_As a matter of fact we are.'_

"I hadn't thought of that." A slight frown creased her brow. "You _are_ welcome to live here with me if you want to stay in London. Or we can find another place to live, if you'd rather."

"We can talk about that tonight." He started to reach for her hand, purely out of old habit, but then thought better of it. He was getting the strangest feeling that things were suddenly moving too fast and it wasn't her pregnancy or the ceremony he was thinking about. And when a look of disappointment flashed across her face because he didn't, he knew he was right.

"_Take it slow, lad." _He heard his mother's sage advice. _"You've got time; so court her properly."_

As much as Dad used to tease her about being too cautious, Robert had the feeling that his father would have agreed with his mother on this one.

He reached into the breast pocket of his coat, pulled out a business card and handed it to her. "If you need to get in touch with me for any reason, you can reach me at these numbers. The first one is an answering service in case I have to shut my phone off and the other is a direct line."

"Should I ask _why_ you need to turn your phone off?"

"Best not." He was keeping secrets from her already.

"You said you were done with the WSB." He could hear the worry in her voice and he tried to calm her.

"I am, luv; I promise you. But sometimes, when I'm on a job I don't want to draw attention so it's easier to shut the bloody thing off."

"Which is why you have an answering service." It wasn't a question.

"Yes." He hesitated again before he leaned over and pressed a brief kiss to her cheek. "Shall we say about six?"

"Six." She seemed to hesitate herself as she raised a hand to _his_ cheek.

'_I could use a cool hand on my forehead.'_

'_Well then, you shall have one.' _

It was an odd memory to come to mind, but a very pleasant one; even in the midst of what had been a very unpleasant case. Since he'd seen her six weeks ago, he'd been allowing himself to remember more of their time together because he slowly began to realize that so many of the memories he had of her didn't hurt anymore.

"Robert?" He felt her hand on his arm and she had a look of concern on her face. "It's not like you to let your mind wander."

"One aspect of my personality that's changed over the years." He shrugged. "Too much time alone and too much time to think."

"Too much time to think isn't good, Sweetheart." He heard the endearment slip out again and her face flushed. "Sorry, old habit."

"I've missed hearing it." He admitted to her. "There've been a lot of things I've missed."

"So have I."

He glanced at the cab again and saw the driver reading a newspaper, waiting. "I'll meet you down in the lobby and we can go to the dining room together."

"All right."

He walked back and opened the cab door before he turned around, expecting to see her front door shut; but she stood in the open doorway watching him leave. It'd been years since she'd done that and it felt as though his world was finally starting to right itself again.

'_Holly and me and baby makes three.'_

After he gave the driver his destination, Robert pulled his phone out of his coat pocket and pressed the speed dial. After several rings, the line finally picked up and he didn't even wait for a hello before he started to talk. "Mac, how soon can you get over to London?"

"_Robbie?" _His brother sounded sleepy and he suddenly realized that he should have considered the time difference before calling; but it wouldn't have mattered anyway because he had things to do.

"Who else? I need your help with something."

"_London's a little out of my jurisdiction."_

"Not with an investigation; it's a personal matter. Can you do it?"

"_Only if you tell me what's going on."_

"Actually, before you fly over here I need you to get a couple of things out of my safety deposit box; my marriage license and a ring."

"_I'll get them when you tell me what's going on." _His brother was persistent, he'd give him that; but Robert ignored the request.

"Do you remember that key I gave you the last time I was in Port Charles? It's for a box at the New York Fidelity Bank that's near police headquarters. I'll call you back in a day or two when things are a little more settled over here."

"_When what's settled?"_

"Will you do it?"

"_Robbie."_

"I'll explain everything when you get here."

"_Robert, explain to me what you need with your and Anna's marriage license." _

He certainly had their father's stubborn streak.

"Not Anna; Holly."

"_Holly?" _Robert could hear the surprise in his voice, even with the less than ideal connection.

"You heard me. Now it's not something I want to elaborate on over the phone, so as soon as you get the license and the ring, call me back."

"_Sure, big brother." _And there was a sigh at the other end. _"Do you mind if I say something about this sudden caper of yours?"_

"Might as well because you're going to say it anyway." He rolled his eyes.

"_It's about damn time." _And the line went dead.

Well it certainly wasn't what he had planned when he got to London that morning, but he couldn't help but think that his brother might be right.

He made one more call and before the cab had even come to a stop in front of his hotel, he had rung up Heathrow to confirm his flight out and asked them to call in the morning to let him know if it was on time. And when he'd done that, he went up to his room.

It didn't even occur to him when he checked in that it was the kind of room Holly would have appreciated as far as accommodations went. He'd never had much of an eye for such things, but he remembered how she would always comment on any room they were staying in; on how well the room was appointed and how everything was coordinated. All that mattered to him was that the bed was comfortable and getting her into it as quickly as possible.

Robert looked at the rather large bed at the other end of the room and got a rush of memories from six weeks before; recalling how it felt to be with her in _her_ bed, making love to her. The ease in which he and Holly had recaptured those nights of marital bliss in that one evening had initially left him completely unnerved and subsequently yearning for those years of closeness they'd forged together from what had begun as a marriage of convenience.

He still marvelled at how they'd become the other's best friend; creating a partnership of trust, mutual respect and eventually, love. And _that_ had happened so gradually and subtly, that he couldn't admit to himself for the longest time that he was falling in love with his own wife. But fall in love with her he did and it was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. No woman, before her or since, affected him in a way that only Holly could; and still did.

And without stopping to examine his motives for what he was about to do, he walked to the phone and called room service to arrange for their dinner to be sent up to his room. He wasn't sure how she would react, but he was feeling rather selfish at the moment and wanted to have the opportunity to spend some more time alone with her before he had to leave. He'd been without her in his life for too many years and wanted to take every opportunity he was being given to make up for lost time.

By six o'clock, he'd been sitting at the hotel bar for almost a half hour and finishing the second of his two glasses of scotch while he waited for her. A glance at the wall clock told him she should have arrived, so he headed to the lobby where he found her already there waiting for him. As he neared where she was sitting, he called her name softly as not to startle her and when she stood, his heart skipped a beat or two. Even after all the years that had passed, she was still a stunning woman.

Her hair was down as it had been earlier in the day, held back loosely from her face with a crème colored ribbon, and she was wrapped in a navy blue cloak that looked familiar. He gave himself a mental shake before he told her about the change in dinner plans and waited for her to refuse him.

"After what happened the last time we were alone together, do you really think it's such a good idea?"

"Don't you trust me?" He found himself teasing her but she remained serious.

"I'm afraid it's myself I don't trust."

He wasn't expecting that answer and offered to take her into the dining room as originally planned, but this time she _did_ refuse and then she blushed.

"We can't waste another dinner, Robert."

"It wouldn't be the first time." He replied, remembering a few dinners from the Versailles Room that had gone uneaten.

Without saying anything more, he offered her his arm, which she took and they walked to the elevator. He felt the need to reassure her that he wasn't setting out to seduce her and leaned close to her ear, as there were other guests waiting for the elevator, as well. "Nothing will happen that you don't want to, Holly; I give you my word."

She rewarded his pledge to her with a lingering kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."

_You made a promise; _he had to remind himself as his body tensed in reaction to the feel of it.

When they got up to his room however, the fates seemed to be conspiring against his assurance that it would only be dinner because the room had been erroneously prepared for a romantic evening.

The lights had been turned down and a fire was burning in the sitting room fireplace. The table had been set and candles lit, adding to the mood. But the one thing that had him more disconcerted than any of that was how the bed had been turned down and bathrobes laid at the foot.

"Damn." He was sure she was thinking the worst of him.

"Not exactly what you had planned?" He heard Holly's soft laugh behind him, presumably at his discomfort.

"Not at all." He'd be lying to himself to say that it hadn't crossed his mind, but she wanted a clean slate and he was going to bloody well honor her request. "I'm sorry about all this."

"There's no need." The amusement in her voice calmed him. "Though I must admit that this reminds me a bit of-"

"Our first time." He finished for her.

"Something like that."

When he turned to face her to ask what she wanted to do, he was floored by the vision she presented. She'd taken off her cloak and the color of the dress she wore matched the ribbon in her hair and it clung to her in all the right places. "That's not fair."

"Too much?" She ran a hand down the front. "I was going for understated, but appropriate for dining."

"How is it that you're more beautiful every time I see you?" It probably wasn't something he should have said to her, but it was the truth nonetheless.

"I-" She looked surprised and confused and maybe just a teensy weensy bit pleased at his comment. She didn't seem to know what else to say and he wished he'd kept his thoughts to himself. But to his surprise, Holly closed the shallow distance between them to put her hand on his arm before she leaned up to kiss him. "You still have such a way with words, Robert." And when she kissed him again, he got his arms around her and he kissed her back.

He'd promised her that nothing would happen that she didn't want to, but it seemed as if the both of them wanted the same thing. And when their kisses became more passionate, their hands started to explore familiar territory and their feet took them to the one place that he wouldn't even have considered possible earlier that day.

It was even better than it had been weeks before because now he knew that Holly still loved him and she knew he still loved her. Even knowing that though, she was right to want to start with a clean slate; they needed to have a real chance to get to know each other again. But for that night, he was content to fall asleep with her in his arms.

He was wakened early the next morning with a call telling him that his flight was on schedule. He had plenty of time to have a shower, pack, eat breakfast, hopefully with Holly, and make it to the airport on time. But for now he just wanted to hold her for a little while longer.

"Robert, we can't do this again." Her sleepy voice told him what he already knew.

"You're not sorry it happened, are you?" He looked into the prettiest pair of brown eyes he'd ever seen and saw the troubled look.

"Of course not." She reassured him. "But we _did_ decide to start from the beginning and this isn't it."

"I know we did, and I do agree with you." He couldn't help but smile at her. "That means this is just going to have to last me for awhile."

"Not just you." She admitted with a blush. "But I do believe it _will_ be worth it."

"_She's right, lad. She's absolutely right."_


	3. Setting a Plan in Motion

'_Happy Anniversary.'_

'_I'm surprised you remembered; it's not our real anniversary.'_

'_Well, it's the only one that counts as far as I'm concerned.'_

They made love more than once that night and missed out on the dinner Robert had ordered; but that had happened to them before and neither truly minded.

Holly finally got him up a half hour after Heathrow called confirming his flight and a sense of déjà vu struck her as they ate a leisurely breakfast together before he offered her first use of the shower. When she was finished, she nearly walked out of the bathroom in a towel, as she'd always done during their married life; but caught herself just as she was about to turn the doorknob.

_Put your robe on, Holly._

So before she exited she slipped into her bathrobe and made sure that the belt was cinched snugly around her waist, a waist that was already starting to expand and then slowly opened the door; stepping out into the room.

The air was thick with the intimacy of the situation as she found him, still clad in his pajama bottoms, staring out of one of the windows. It was a stance she remembered well, he was pensive. She called his name quietly, so as not to startle him and when he turned to face her, he was smiling. "The bathroom is all yours."

"And with any luck, there'll still some hot water for me."

"I was only in there for twenty minutes." She folded her arms across her chest and he chuckled at the sight she must have made.

"Yeah, twenty minutes you could've have been spending with _me _instead."

_He really hadn't changed that much after all._

"You may rethink that after we've been sharing a house for awhile."

"I doubt that." He got an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek before he walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

'_It's only natural that when a man and a woman share a house, they might feel that they're sexually attracted to each other.'_

'_Holly, it's not just sex. I think I'm falling in love with you.'_

After having not lived together for such a long time, it was quite bewildering to realize, again, how easily they'd fallen back into their old patterns as though they'd never been apart; but maybe that's because they never really were. And it didn't mean that there wasn't still so much to sort out, because there was.

When they took the elevator down to the lobby an hour later so he could check out, her hand was tucked through his elbow. The desk clerk greeted them as she took the key card Robert handed to her. "Good morning Mr. Scorpio." And then she smiled at Holly. "Miss."

"This is my wife, she joined me yesterday." He replied with a smile of his own. "It seems like ages since I've seen her."

"I hope your stay was a pleasant one, Mrs. Scorpio."

_That was a name she hadn't heard in a long time._

"Very." Holly felt her face burn with a self-conscious blush. "My husband made sure of that."

_It had been a long time since she'd said that, too._

"I'm very glad to hear it." She answered as she handed a checkout form and a pen to Robert. "Please look this over and if all the charges are accurate, sign it for me. I'll get your receipt."

When he'd complied with the request and tucked the credit card receipt in his coat pocket, he pulled Holly's hand back into his elbow.

"I hope you'll remember us the next time you're in London."

"I don't imagine we'll forget; will we, luv?" His gaze on her was so intense, that she felt her face warm again.

"No, I don't suppose we will." She responded for the clerk's benefit as well as his. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." He nodded and they walked outside to a waiting cab. His suitcase was stowed in the trunk as Robert helped her into the back and then sat down beside her before the door was shut.

"Where to?" The driver asked him.

"Take me to Heathrow and then I'd like you to take my wife home." He instructed and she let out a small sigh as the cab pulled away. It was the second time in less than five minutes that he'd referred to her as his wife. As thrilled as she was to hear it, it also brought out that overprotective part of him that used to drive her crazy.

"Robert."

"Holly." The insufferable man smiled at her as he took her hand in his. "What can I say? You still bring out the chauvinist in me."

"Obviously." She arched an eyebrow at him. "But I suppose you wouldn't be _you_, if you weren't."

"I'd prefer it this way if you don't mind." His smile faded. "The last time we said goodbye in an airport was Port Charles and our lives were never the same after that. And seeing as how you're so determined that we start with a clean slate, I'd like to start with that."

_So many ghosts still haunted them._

"Well, since you put it that way; I really can't argue. Besides, curb side goodbyes can be just as nice."

"How's about you just stay in here and I'll get out, hmm?" He patted the hand he held and then set it back in her lap.

"_Don't be in such a rush, child." _Holly could hear Nanny caution her. _"Things need to happen in their own time, not before."_

She was right and Holly knew it.

"I guess this is part of the learning process." She folded her hands together with another small sigh. "Or rather, _re_learning."

"I know what you're going through right now; because so am I." His candid admission caught her attention and she looked into his eyes. "I think we'd both like things back to the way they were and act like we haven't lost so many years together. But you were right when you said we're not the same people and it wouldn't be fair to either one of us if we pretended like we were."

"It _would_ be easier."

"Maybe. But we'd also be living a kind of lie because we'd be ignoring the lives we had when we weren't together."

_Logical and deductive; _that was how she used to describe his thinking process.

"True." She reluctantly nodded her agreement. "You know, we've been reliving our past for the last twenty-fours and I think it's only fair that we have a good chat before we go through with anything."

"I think we should. And as soon as you pick a day, I'll clear my schedule and we'll take as much time as you like." He then got the strangest expression and then his face flushed.

"Robert, what is it?"

"I just realized something." He caught her eye again. "It's April."

"Yes, I know; but-" She started to ask him why he'd brought it up until she suddenly understood the reason and felt the warmth in her own cheeks. "You always said that was our real anniversary."

"Then what would you say to that day?" He raised his eyebrows in question. "Unless you have something else in mind."

Holly thought it was perfect and told him so. "You _were_ always quite the romantic, you know."

"I had good reason." He shrugged as though to say that he didn't feel he needed to further explain. "So what do you say, Mrs. Scorpio; will you marry me?"

"Considering that we still _are_, Mr. Scorpio; I suppose I have to say yes."

A snort of laughter from the cab driver brought them up short. "Good answer there, luv."

"I guess that makes it unanimous." The love of her life and father of her child grinned at the cheeky remark. "That doesn't give us much time."

"Don't you mean _me_?" She gave him a good-natured scold.

"Why don't you call Celia and have her help?" He suggested. "I seem to remember she pitched in to pull that housewarming party of ours together in less than a day."

"You seem to forget, dear; it _was_ her idea." Another forgotten endearment slipped out, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Ah, yes; Jimmy Lee Holt as I recall." He shook his head and sighed. "They never were right for each other."

Holly had once called what was happening between her friend and Edward Quartermaine's illegitimate son, animal attraction. Celia had taken offense to the assessment and didn't talk to her for a few days afterward.

"I just wish she'd known that before she married him." She sighed and absently ran her thumb across her left ring finger. "It would have saved her a lot of heartache."

"Sometimes it's the only way you learn if someone's right for you or not." He observed and reached across her lap for her left hand.

"Speaking from some experience, are you?" She was suddenly very aware of her bare ring finger and knew that when they took their vows again, not only would _she_ be wearing a ring; he would be, too.

"I love you, Holly; I always have. And I took it for granted that you'd always be a part of my life until you weren't a part of it anymore."

"Robert." He still had so many regrets and she understood that because she did, too. "It seems to me, these are the sorts of things we need to talk about and clear the air."

"Heathrow." The driver announced loudly and then cleared his throat; apparently very aware that he was interrupting their conversation. "Where to?"

"Terminal five, please."

"Five it is." He confirmed with a nod and wove his way around cars, lines of cabs and buses until he stopped at the curb in front of the terminal. He hopped out and got Robert's suitcase from the trunk and waited.

"I should have things wrapped up in a few days." He reassured her as he opened the door.

"Just be sure to call me if there's a delay. As far as the ceremony is concerned, I _would_ like it to be that day."

"All right, I'll call Mac and let him know when I need him over here." Robert started to get out but Holly stopped him with a hand on his arm even though she knew he was pressed for time.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"What is it?" He tried not to glance toward his watch.

"I know Mac is your brother, but why not ask Sean?"

"When I talked to Tif a few weeks ago, she told me he's on assignment for the WSB and she's not too sure where he is."

"Even now, he can't get that wanderlust out of his system." It was neither an indictment nor a criticism, simply a fact.

"Sean is Sean. He can't seem to get enough of the intrigue or the adventure and I understand that. But after what the WSB put me through and what it did to you and Robin for all those years, I don't need it anymore. It cost me too bloody much."

"What do you suppose it's costing _him_?" She wasn't sure why she was asking because it didn't concern them.

"I don't know, luv. Probably more than he knows, I'd say." He did look at his watch then, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I've got to go."

"Robert, please call her and ask her to come." She grasped his hands. "It would be lovely to have her there."

"I'll do that, but I've really got to go." He pressed a kiss to her other cheek and smiled. "Take care of that little person in there and I'll be back soon."

"We'll be just fine." She pressed his fingers before he got out of the cab. As Robert spoke to the driver, she sat quietly listening to his voice as he paid the fare. It had been so many years since she'd heard the sound of it and was so thankful that she had that chance once again.

He closed the door and gave her a wave before he picked up his suitcase. She waved back as the driver got back into the cab and shut his own door before he wove his way back into traffic and out of the airport.

It really was better this way, their parting. And she couldn't help but hope that perhaps the ghost of their last airport goodbye had been laid to rest for him.

_One down and lord knew how many, to go. _

When she'd got home and hung up her cloak, she noticed that there was one telephone message waiting for her. It didn't take much to know who it was from and when she heard Robert's voice, she laughed softly. It was simple and short, his flight was on time and he'd be flying out in about a half hour. The time stamp on the message was twenty minutes earlier, so right about now the plane was probably getting ready to pull away from the gate.

She laughed again as she saved his message, feeling very much like a schoolgirl with her first real crush.

After that, she picked up the receiver and called Celia. It had been such a surprise to find out she had been living in Paris for the past several years and Holly hadn't even known it. They'd run into each other when her friend had been in London for a couple of days a few months earlier for a showing of her art. It had been ages since they'd seen one another and they spent an entire afternoon catching up.

She'd dearly missed having the companionship of her old finishing school chum and they promised each other to stay in touch and they had, so a phone call wouldn't have raised any suspicions.

Once they'd gotten the pleasantries out of the way, Holly admitted that she had something to tell her and then a request. The news of a baby was met with cautious congratulations and an unspoken question as to who the father was; she knew Holly hadn't been seeing anyone and hesitated to suggest a possible fling.

But when Holly revealed who the father was, she was congratulated again and with obvious happiness. Celia had known how much she had wanted to have a child with Robert, but the opportunity never seemed to be there.

Holly then asked if she would stand up with her when she and Robert renewed their vows. And when she revealed the date they hadset and why, Celia made a promise to help her plan the perfect wedding.


	4. Their New Start in Life

'_It was one of those lavish garden weddings with servants bustling about with champagne and hors d'oeuvres. I was nine; the official flower girl. I was determined that my wedding was going to be exactly like that.'_

It wasn't lavish and there weren't servants bustling about on that much anticipated late morning, just Celia; making sure that the small garden was as perfect as she could make it.

Holly watched the activity from upstairs, settled comfortably in her bedroom window seat as her friend rushed about talking to the caterer, to the florist all the while arranging the chairs; though there really weren't many to begin with. Everything had come together so easily and smoothly, that it scared her a little.

When she and Robert had gotten married they were in such a mad rush, gathering all their vital information to get their marriage licence and time had not been on their side. An immigration agent was bound and determined to follow through on her deportation order, while Robert was _just_ as determined to make sure that she stayed.

He'd shown himself to be a stalwart friend to her before and when they thought Luke was dead and she found herself pregnant, he'd done the last thing he ever should have; he'd married her.

It was such a simple idea in the beginning. They were married in name only and planned to carry on with their lives pretty much as they'd done before; they'd live in the same house, but live separately. But without either realizing, however; it became habit to let the other one know if they were leaving the house and when they'd return. There was no sense of obligation on either part to do so, just simple consideration.

Then as a newlywed couple's lives naturally did, theirs began to merge together. She made him breakfast every morning before he left for headquarters or just toast and coffee if he was working from home. On the days he worked from home, she'd make him lunch as well, though it often went uneaten. Holly had married Port Charles' new police commissioner who'd begun his job with a murder investigation, a slate full of suspects and he'd enlisted her help early on as a sounding board trying to begin sorting it all out.

'_Let me sit here and talk this thing through, will you? Maybe discussing it with an uninvolved mind will help me understand it a little bit better.'_

It was of paramount importance to him in finding Susan Baldwin's killer and after she'd miscarried, that was of paramount importance to her.

It didn't occur to her until the whole ordeal was over that Robert had been there, offering his quiet support and then giving her the room to grieve. But when that grief had become so all consuming that she'd stopped living, he'd brought her around and forced her to confront what had happened and find the strength to move forward.

Their relationship shifted after that because of what they'd been through together and their friendship began to flourish into something deeper. Neither wanted to acknowledge it in the beginning, of course, but Robert had been right when he said they knew the feelings were there.

"Holly?" A soft knock on the door and a softer voice behind it brought the nervous bride around. "Can I come in?"

She got up and rushed to the door, quickly opening it to see Robin standing on the other side. "Come in, sweetheart. Your father didn't see you, did he?"

"No." She laughed and rolled her eyes as Holly closed the door behind her. "He and Uncle Mac are in his room arguing over how to tie a tie. I don't remember him being _half_ this nervous when he married Mom." _It was inevitable, the mention of Anna; _anda look of contrite embarrassment crossed her face. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Holly hugged her before she led her back to the window seat. "I'm so glad you're here and Robert's going to be thrilled."

"I'm not mad at him anymore; that's one of the reasons I told Uncle Mac I'd come." And she shrugged; a gesture that looked so much like her father. "When we were talking the other night about the two of you getting back together, I remembered that I wasn't the only one who was hurting when we thought he died. I never told you this, but the night Sean told us about Dad I heard you crying and it sounded like your heart was breaking."

"Robin." She'd never wanted her to hear that; Robin shook her head.

"He loved Mom, but never in the way he loved you and I can admit that now. I think they got married more for me than for themselves anyway, because they wanted me to have a real family. But she didn't love Dad the way she loved Uncle Duke, either."

"I really wanted to be there for their wedding." Holly sighed with regret. "Robert had such reservations about Duke as a step-father for you in the beginning, but he came round when he saw how much he loved your mother."

"He was the love of her life, just like you've always been Dad's. And now there's going to be another little Scorpio running around." She looked a little perplexed at the idea.

"Are you all right with that?" A hand went reflexively to her middle.

"I'm great." Robin nodded and then she blushed. "It's just a little weird knowing that your parents still do _that_."

"Well, I must admit it's a bit odd for me, too because I never thought I'd ever have that chance with him again."

"But now that you're pregnant, you're not going to?"

"Not until we get to know each other again." Holly noted the incredulous look that she was getting; never mind that they already had. "I know this is probably hard for you to understand, given the circumstances. But when we first got married, your father and I didn't know each other and didn't intend our marriage being anything more than what we agreed to."

"But things obviously changed."

"They did." She nodded. "We couldn't foresee that sharing a house and getting to know one another would change everything between us. We _were_ naïve about it, I suppose, but it didn't change the fact that he was willing to give my child his name and keep me from being deported."

"Dad liked to tell me that story when I visited you in Australia because I could see how much he loved you. It seemed hard to believe that he didn't _always_ love you."

"Is this a private conversation, or can anyone join in?" A familiar feminine drawl got Holly and Robin to look up; she hadn't heard a knock at the door.

"Tiffany?" She couldn't believe it, Robert had gotten her there.

"Yes, it's me." Tiffany Donnelly smiled at her and stepped in. Holly was up and across the room, hugging her friend. "And I'm so glad to be here, since I missed it the last time."

"Believe me, you didn't miss much." She quipped. "Just a brief ceremony in the mayor's office."

"Maybe not, but at least I got a front row seat for the best part." Her smile grew wider when she saw Robin and the two women hugged. "Honey, it's so good to see you."

"Is Sean with you?" Holly asked as Tiffany and Robin sat down on the window seat and she sat down at her vanity.

"No. He's _finally_ home so I gave him a domestic assignment, even though he would love to have been here." She sighed. "It's certainly not as exciting as running around the world, but it's been ages since he's seen his own child and I wanted them to have some time together."

"Well I'm glad you're here."

"So am I." Tiffany stood up. "And now that I _am_ here, I'd really like to help."

"Me, too." Robin chimed in. "Dad's finally getting it right and I'd like to do _some_thing."

She was a lucky woman to have such wonderful people who cared about her and Robert. "You'll need to ask Celia. She insisted on taking care of most of the details herself, so I suspect she might appreciate some help about now."

"Consider it done." Tiffany linked her arm through Robin's. "Shall we?"

"Just don't let Robert see her." Holly cautioned quietly as they got to the door. "I don't want him to know she's here just yet."

"He won't hear it from us." Her friend laughed softly before she opened the door and they were gone.

Meanwhile, across the hall…

"Whose bloody idea was it to wear a suit?" Robert yanked the tie from under his shirt collar again; frustrated that he couldn't tie his tie because his hands wouldn't stop shaking and he frowned at his brother's obvious amusement of the jitters he was experiencing.

"I believe it was yours, big brother." Mac chuckled as he slipped the tie out of his nervous hands. "You and Holly wanted to keep things simple, remember?" And he chuckled again. "I still don't understand why you're so nervous; you're already married."

"And most of that time we've lived apart." He grabbed the tie back and got it back around his neck, determined to finish the job because Holly had picked it out for him. It was a soft gray she thought would dress up the dark suit he'd chosen to wear. "I never thought we'd ever find our way back to each other."

Mac took the ends again and as he talked, slowly finished the job. "Robbie, I've been watching you and Holly since I got here the other day, and I'm convinced that if any two people were meant to find their way back to each other, it's you."

"So much has happened."

"You told me you talked it all out." Mac looked troubled and sounded more than a little worried as he tucked the knot under Robert's collar. "You're not keeping anything from her, are you?"

"Nothing." He shook his head. "We got it all out in the open. I just meant that it was a little strange listening to her talk about a life that didn't include me."

"Well did you stop to think it was probably just as strange for her listening to you talk about a life that didn't include _her_?" He reasoned and Robert knew he was right. "And I seem to remember she experienced some of it firsthand."

_That she had. _And when he returned to London, he'd finally been able to tell her how grateful he was for looking after his daughter for as long as she did.

After he'd arrived at the house, Holly had taken him on a tour before showing him up to the guest bedroom and bathroom. She showed him where everything was and urged him to make himself at home while she went downstairs to make them tea. By the time he'd unpacked what he brought with him, she'd called up to him to let him know the tea was ready and when they'd gotten comfortable in the sitting room they started to talk; the first of several long conversations over the next few days.

She was still the same Holly in so many ways that it sometimes felt as though they were back in the townhouse having afternoon tea and discussing a case he was working on. It was at those times that it was easiest for him to forget that they hadn't built the life together that they'd wanted.

It was when she talked about her family and returning once again to running cons and remarrying after she thought he'd died, it was a Holly he didn't know and couldn't help but think that he was, in part, responsible for that turn her life had taken.

The awkwardness between them during those particular talks reminded him so much of the early days of their marriage. They didn't really know each other then, either and it was an odd kind of comfort to know they'd been through it before.

He even told Holly that if it hadn't been for the Susan Baldwin case and her willingness to help him, he wasn't sure how much time it might have actually taken for them to really feel at ease with each other.

"Robbie." His brother's insistent voice brought him around.

"What?" He gave his head a quick shake to clear it.

"It's not like you to daydream." Mac commented with a smile. "She seems to have that effect on you."

"You have no idea." He replied with a wry smile of his own.

"Tiffany was just in here to let you know that all the guests have arrived."

_Tiff? _

"Of which she's one." He pointed out needlessly.

"Tell _her_." Mac's remark sounded strangely like a challenge. "She volunteered to help Holly's friend Celia because the last report was, they're still getting ready."

A soft knock on the door got his attention and he was absolutely floored to see his daughter standing in the doorway, cradling two boxes under her chin. She had a bashful smile on her face and her cheeks were flushed. "Holly asked me to deliver these to you."

"Robin." _His little girl._

"I'm sure glad you changed your mind." Mac grinned at her.

"It was the call I got from Holly that made the difference." Robin informed her uncle before she looked back at him. "While we were talking, I realized that if she could understand that you didn't have much of a choice, which you really didn't, and forgive you; I could, too."

"Those days are behind us, sweetheart." He offered cautiously. "I'm just glad you're here with your Uncle Mac to share this day with me."

"So am I, Dad." She answered just as cautiously as she opened one of the boxes and lifted out a pale pink rose. "Uncle Mac, you're first."

She pinned the flower to Mac's lapel before handing the second box to him. "Tiffany says that it's traditional for the best man to pin the boutonniere to the groom's lapel, so I'll leave it to you to do it right."

"Then you're looking at the wrong guy." He joked. "But I'll do my best."

"Don't worry about it." Robin laughed at his remark. "I get the feeling that you'll have to pass her inspection before she lets you go downstairs."

"Leave it to Tiffany." Robert shook his head in amusement at the thought.

"I just checked on Holly and Celia again and they're just about ready to go; so I need to get back downstairs to get their flowers."

"How is she?" He asked, concerned that she might have some trouble getting through the ceremony. "She wasn't feeling very well this morning."

"You'd better get used to that." She laughed again. "She _is_ having a baby, after all."

"Thank you, Dr. Scorpio; I know that." He let out a sigh of exasperation. "I was there when it happened."

"She's fine." His daughter informed him, still smiling. "In fact, she's radiant."

"Not the nervous wreck _this_ guy is?" Mac clapped him on the shoulder. "He's been jumpy all morning."

Robert wanted to object to his brother's assessment, but found he couldn't because it was true. "You would be if you were in _my_ shoes."

"Once you see her, you'll be fine." He assured the anxious groom. "Because I know how much you want this."

He couldn't argue with that. But something was still nagging at him, had been since he'd returned to London; he just couldn't figure out what the devil it was.

"You know, it's strange. The first time we went through this, it all happened in such a rush that we didn't have a lot of time to think about it." He recalled. "And when we had a moment for second thoughts, the mayor came in with our marriage license."

"That happened for a reason, you know." Robin observed before she grabbed Robert into a hug and he held her close; it had been a long time since he'd held his daughter. "You were meant to be together, even then."

"Face it, Robbie. You're stuck with each other."

"Yeah, I suppose we are." And the truth of it was; he didn't mind a bit.

"And something tells me she probably feels the same way." Robin leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Now before Tiffany comes looking for me, I have more flowers to deliver. Uncle Mac, I'm leaving it up to you to help him finish getting ready."

"I'm being treated like a child by my own child." He threw up his hands.

"It's called payback, Dad." She kissed his other cheek for good measure. "See you downstairs."

After she'd gone, Robert looked at his brother. "It's hard to believe the young woman that was just in here is that same young girl I had to leave behind."

"They grow up whether you like it or not." Mac made the obvious observation and Robert frowned.

"I can't say as I do."

"Well you'd better get used to it because you're going to have to go through it all over again."

"Wonderful." He remarked as Mac pinned the rose to his lapel.

What _wasn't_ wonderful was Holly's last minute bout with morning sickness just as Robin walked into the room with the flowers. Between last minute jitters and the tea and toast she was already having trouble keeping down, it was the scent of the flowers that did her in and had her dashing for the bathroom.

Humiliation didn't even begin to describe how she felt, having her best friend and step-daughter there as witnesses. But she also knew it was something she'd have to reconcile herself to because Robert was going to have to deal with it over the next few months with her.

"Please don't tell Robert." She pleaded with them when she'd finally emerged from the bathroom after carefully rinsing and brushing her teeth, so as not to ruin Celia's handiwork with her makeup. "He's going to find out soon enough, but he's already so nervous; he doesn't need this on his mind, too."

"Do you think you'll be able to make it through the ceremony?" Celia had followed her out, sounding more worried than Holly would have liked.

"Yes." She slowly sat down at her vanity, her stomach still a little unsteady. "With everyone coming such a long distance on short notice, we wanted to keep it brief so we could spend the day together, catching up."

"So you want us to keep this a secret?" Robin asked her, looking as though she wasn't going to like the answer.

"Not at all. I _will_ tell him later because I have no doubt he'll ask." Holly reassured her and then noticed the time from the clock. "Especially if we're late getting downstairs."

"Then let me fix your face so you don't look quite so pale." Celia insisted as she picked up a rouge brush and swiped it across her cheeks, forehead and chin before she put the brush down. "There. Now get your wrap off so we can get you into your dress and fix your hair a little."

"I'm not a child, Celia." She stood up and untied the sash, dropping it to the foot of the bed.

"No, but you _are_ having one." Her friend answered with a smile, unfazed at Holly's tone. "So humor me."

Properly chastened, she stepped gingerly into the soft crepe. Celia and Robin drew it up so she could put her arms into the sleeves, before slipping her feet into a pair of dyed to match, low heeled shoes_._

"I keep wondering if perhaps I should have got a new dress." She ran a hand down the front of the crème colored dress she'd worn to Robert's hotel when they'd met for dinner. "But I can't forget the look on his face when he saw it because it was the first time he'd looked at me like that in a long time."

"Like you were dessert?" Robin joked and Holly felt her face burn with a blush.

"Robin!" She scolded, but the young woman was unrepentant.

"What? It's true."

_Cheeky girl._

"You're going to knock his socks off, Holly." Celia took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the floor length mirror in the corner of the room. The woman Holly saw reflected back looked suspiciously like a bride. "What do _you_ think?"

'_I think I'm going to cry.' _She couldn't help but think as she studied her reflection and wondered if it was the pregnancy or renewing her marriage vows to Robert that seemed to make her glow; it was probably both. While the first had been a surprise it was something she wanted more than anything and the second was the fulfillment of a long held dream. Pledging her life to him because she wanted to, not because she felt compelled to.

The dress fit a little more snugly than it had a couple of weeks earlier, but was still loose enough that the swell of life she'd noticed that very morning as she took her bath was disguised. She and Robert weren't keeping secret the fact that she was pregnant, just choosing to reveal it only to close friends and his family for the time being.

"Are the flowers all right?" Holly looked at Celia's reflection in the mirror. "I completely forgot about them whilst I was indisposed."

"They're fine." She reported after inspecting the arrangement in her hair and refreshing the simple coiffure. "The hairdresser made sure they won't go anywhere."

Following the Scorpio theme of keeping things simple, she'd decided to keep her hair down but swept away from her face. And in the hair that was gathered back, an arrangement of pale pink roses, to match the bouquets and boutonnieres had been created and secured with combs. It had been an idea that Celia had come up with because Holly had chosen to forego wearing a veil or a hat, but her friend felt strongly that she shouldn't go completely without some kind of adornment in her hair.

"Good. Now, do we have everything?" Celia gave her another look over and frowned. "I just keep thinking that something is still missing."

"Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue." Robin recited the old bridal tradition.

"That's it." She nodded. "What's your something old, Holly?"

"My mother's earrings." Holly showed her the pearl drop earrings she was wearing. "She wore them the day she married Father."

"Something new?" Robin asked.

"A pearl necklace." She felt her face inexplicably flush as she put a hand to her chest. "They're a gift from Robert."

"Something borrowed?" Celia nodded her approval.

"A lace handkerchief that belonged to your great-grandmother."

"Of course."

"And something blue?" Robin wondered.

"Blue?" _I've nothing that's blue; _she thought, in a panic_. _

"Don't worry." Her friend must have seen her worried look. "I stitched a small blue bow in the hem of your dress last night, just in case we couldn't think of something. So you're all set."

"Thank you, to both of you and to Tiffany, as well."

"Someone called?" The woman mentioned by name slipped into the bedroom after a soft knock and closed the door behind her, a smile on her face. And when she saw Holly, her eyes teared up. "Oh, Holly."

"Please don't cry." Holly felt her own eyes tear and they were in danger of spilling over. "Because Celia will never forgive me if I ruin the lovely job she did with my makeup."

"You both look wonderful." Tiffany pressed her trembling hands. "And so does that handsome husband of yours, by the way."

"How _is_ Robert?" She asked; a little worried. "He stayed out of sight this morning, so I haven't seen him."

"That's because it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the ceremony." Robin teased. "And I don't think Dad wants to take any chances."

There was a sudden, firm knock on the door and Holly heard Robert's voice on the other side. "Holly?"

_Or maybe not._

"Robert?" Her heart started to flutter again as she hurried to the door.

"I need to talk to you." She heard his muffled request. "I have to ask you something before we do this."

"You can't see her." Celia came to stand behind Holly, no doubt prepared to block the door if necessary. "It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding."

"In case you've forgotten, we're already married." He sounded more than a little exasperated and she couldn't help but smile.

"Then it's bad luck to see her before the ceremony." Tiffany chimed in and she laughed silently.

"Just let me talk to my wife, please." His exasperation became irritation; he wasn't going to take no for an answer. "It's very important."

Holly remembered that tone and knew something had to be weighing heavily on his mind, so she turned to her friends and to her step-daughter. "Please, give us a moment."

The three women looked at each other and Holly thought they were going to remain resolved to not let him see her, but with a reluctant nod from Celia, they relented. Tiffany took her hand and walked her into the bathroom, stationing her behind the door with the quiet admonition not to move.

_Good heavens, she really was being treated like a child._

She heard the bedroom door open and Celia's voice, telling Robert where she was and further instructing him to stay on his side; and then she laughed to herself when she heard Robert's answer.

"A bit of privacy would be appreciated."

"We'll be outside, Holly." Tiffany called to her just before the bedroom door closed again.

"Robert, are you all right?" She asked him again because it sounded suspiciously as though he were pacing.

"Of all the interfering-" He kept pacing and Holly waited; he'd tell her in his own time. "Something's been bothering me since I got back and for the life of me I couldn't figure out what, even after all the talking we did."

"And you finally realized what it was?"

"Yeah." She could almost see him nod. And then she heard his voice close to the door, almost as though he didn't trust the privacy they were being given. "What I realized was, that the day you told me you were pregnant you never answered a question I asked you and I need to know. Do you feel cheated out of the years we missed when you thought I was dead?"

_So that's what had him so agitated. _She remembered the question now and realized that she'd inadvertently put him off that day. He must've gotten the impression that she'd deliberately avoided answering him; perhaps to spare his feelings.

"No more cheated than you." She told him and felt like crying again. "I suppose if circumstances had been different after I came back, we might have had those years together. But it's my fault we didn't because if I hadn't gone to England in the first place, it wouldn't have mattered."

"But I drove you to it."

"No, Robert." She shook her head and tried to get him to understand. "You didn't. It was a decision that _I_ made, all on my own and I suspect that I still would have gone even if you hadn't been away so much because they're my family. But the one thing I truly regret in making that bloody decision is I forgot _you_ were my family, too."

"I love you, Holly. And I promise to make it all up to you."

"As do I." She answered and felt a quiet peace settle over the room.

"I'll see you downstairs then." She heard him walk toward the bedroom door before it was opened and then closed again.

_Yes, you will. _She answered silently and looked around the bathroom door cautiously; he was gone.

Robert stood in front of the closed door and realized that his jitters were finally and truly gone. The last piece of business had been settled for him and he was indeed ready to build a new life with her, without any guilt or recriminations.

"Everything all right now?" Mac's hand was on his shoulder and he heard the concern, so Robert turned to his younger brother and nodded.

"I'm fine." He tried to reassure him. "Let's get down there before Tiff finds us."

"I just did." A good natured scold was followed by his long time friend coming up the stairs with a smile on her face before taking his chin in her hand, giving him a scrutinizing look.

"What are you looking at?" He frowned at her.

"I'm checking for lipstick." She quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I only wanted to talk to her and that's all I did." _No need to get defensive. _"I didn't see her."

"That's good to hear, mate. You don't want to ruin such a lovely day, do you?"

_Well, now that day was just about complete. _Robert smiled as Grant Andrews appeared at the top of the stairs and put out his hand.

He'd been surprised, to say the least, when Holly told him that Grant and Celia were back together. While they'd been planning the ceremony, Celia had revealed that he and she had crossed paths in Paris a few years earlier and not only had they renewed their relationship and remarried, but they'd had a little girl they named Lila.

Déjà vu didn't even begin to cover the impact of that news.

"It's been a long time, Robert." He stated the obvious as the two men shook hands with a heartfelt grasp. "Like old times, isn't it?"

"This takes me back, that's for sure." He chuckled. "Almost where we started."

"We've both been lucky enough to find our way back to our wives, that's for sure." Grant shook his head in disbelief. "And now we're both fathers."

"I was floored when Holly told me about you and Celia and your daughter."

"And I was just as surprised to find out you two were having a baby of your own." He replied with a grin. "I remember how much you wanted it."

"I've had to learn the hard way that sometimes you have to wait a bit longer for what you want, than you ever expected." Robert shrugged and indicated the door. "So you've come to collect Holly, have you?"

"As soon as you get moving down those stairs, I will."

"I think that's your cue." Mac nudged him toward the stairs and as they descended, he heard her door open. "I thought one of her cousins would have given her away."

"She would have liked to ask Algernon or Alistair and if I could have found a way to get hold of either of them without alerting the entire Durbin clan, I would have." He told his brother as they headed toward the garden. "They're the only infernal cousins of hers that I could ever really abide."

"Why didn't Holly just ask?"

"She's been keeping her distance of late." Robert shook his head. "The last job they had her involved with nearly landed the lot of them in jail, so she asked for what was owed her and told the family she was out."

"Until they call on her again?" Mac looked a little dubious. "Or when she runs out of money."

"Not this time." He shook his head again. "She bought this house with part of what they gave her and invested the rest. She said she's repaid her debt to them for taking care of her after her accident and doesn't feel any further obligation."

"So you really do have a clean slate, don't you?"

"We do." And he intended on taking advantage of it by courting his wife, just like the old days. After that, when they'd set things to rights, he was going to take her on a honeymoon as he should have done after they'd finally consummated their marriage.

"Have I told you yet how handsome I think you look?" He heard Tiffany before turning to see her. "Holly is positively going to melt."

_Tiff always did have a way of putting things. _

"Holly and Celia are ready now." She glanced at her wristwatch. "So as soon as I let the minister know, you two gentlemen can take a walk."

"The last mile of freedom?" Mac laughed and Robert shook his head good-naturedly.

"More like the first."

"I like that answer." Tiffany planted a kiss on his cheek. "Now I just need to collect young Lila and we can get this show on the road."

"Why don't you go have a seat." He urged her, indicating the garden with his outstretched hand. "You _are_ supposed to be a guest, after all."

"You know me better than that, Robert." She smiled back at him. "I promise that as soon as I find the flower girl and the minister, I'll sit down."

Tiffany walked to the sitting room and moments later, Robin came toward them holding the hand of a small child. "Lila, this is my Uncle Mac and my dad."

"Hi." The girl was a picture of Celia and a shy little thing. She was wearing a pale pink pinafore and clutching her basket of rose petals with a trembling hand. From what Robert could judge, and he'd never been very good at it, she couldn't have been more than four years old and appeared to be really nervous; holding Robin's hand tightly.

"I'm taking her upstairs." Robin explained. "She really needs to see her parents."

It was probably the first time she'd been separated from them for any length of time and feeling anxious. Something told him that her parents were probably feeling a little anxious, as well.

"That's a good idea." Robert nodded as he watched his daughter take the Andrews' daughter up the stairs and couldn't help but think what a good mother she was going to be.

"Mr. Scorpio?" He turned toward the voice of the minister. "I'm told everyone is in place, so if you and your brother will come with me, the ceremony can begin."

"Thank you." His hands started to shake again and a sudden panic set in when he looked at Mac. "The ring."

"I've got it right here." His brother patted his breast pocket. "Safe and sound."

"All set then?" The minister raised his eyebrows in question.

"More than you know." Mac chuckled as he nudged Robert forward. "Come on, Robbie."

They followed the minister, side by side, through the open French doors and into the garden as the music began. He recognized Shubert's "Ave Maria" as they walked the few short feet to arrive at the rose covered lattice arch that stood at the opposite end of the house and each took their places.

It was an intimate setting, to be sure, and while it didn't matter much to him where they renewed their vows, Robert wanted their small garden ceremony to be everything she wished for it to be.

'_I used to fantasize after that about being the second Mrs. DeWinter; having a marvellous wedding and being the lady of Manderlay.' _

'_Didn't sort of work out that way, did it?'_

'_Not quite.'_

Today of all days, he hoped it finally would.

It was then he saw the guests assembled and really smiled; so many familiar faces. People who had known them both back in Port Charles and whom he still considered friends and colleages. He smiled even more for Holly because he saw one of her cousins, whom she loved dearly and who loved her just as much, sitting in the small assembly. Somehow, Algernon had gotten word of the ceremony and had shown up wearing a morning coat.

He was a tad overdressed for the occasion, but the sentiment was there and he knew how much she would appreciate the gesture; it was too bad that Alistair couldn't have been there, too.

Tiffany slipped silently through the door and took her seat and when Grant followed, quietly taking his own seat up front Robert frowned for a moment, wondering why. The music continued on as Lila Andrews appeared next and to his great joy Robin appeared just behind, holding her own bouquet of flowers. He didn't think it was possible for a man to feel such happiness, but he did because his whole family was now a real part of a day that was so important to him and to Holly.

Lila tossed the rose petals in front of her and every few steps would glance over her shoulder, making sure Robin was there. They seemed to have formed a bond in the short time they'd known each other and it again gave him an idea of how good a mother he thought his daughter would be.

As they approached the wedding arch, the little girl then made a beeline to sit next to her father, who instead pointed her toward the wedding party. And it was only when Robin came to a stop that she hurried over, staking a claim in front of her.

He heard Mac's soft laugh and he couldn't help but smile himself.

When Celia appeared next in the doorway, his breath suddenly shortened because as soon as she finished walking toward them, he would get to see Holly. And when he finally did a couple of minutes later, his heart stopped for a couple of beats at the sight she presented. She'd done him the honor of wearing the same dress she'd worn the night they were supposed to have dinner and ended up making love. And the pearls he'd given her the night before, after the rehearsal dinner were around her neck.

He then saw Alistair standing beside her, wearing a morning coat like Algernon, looking very proud to have Holly on his arm; Robert never believed he'd be so glad to see him. As Pachelbel's "Cannon in D" began to play to accompany them down the aisle, the cousins shared a glance and a smile before he pressed a kiss in her hair and walked her toward her groom and the minister.

As Alistair and Holly came to a slow stop next to him and the music finished, Robert couldn't help but think about the last time they'd stood next to each other taking their vows and how much better this day was; it was the anniversary of the night their marriage really began.

"You look absolutely stunning."

"I have to be, to keep up with you."

They laughed softly in remembrance as Holly let go of her cousin's arm to take his and he leaned over to kiss her cheek. "You really do, luv."

"You look quite smart yourself." She squeezed the inside of his elbow and then the minister began.

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here on this fine morning and in this lovely place to renew in matrimony, Robert and Holly Scorpio."

_He liked the sound of their names together again._

"Who presents this woman to be joined with this man?" The minister asked and Algernon stood up.

"Her cousin Algernon and I do." Alistair declared before he stepped back and he and Algernon took their seats.

"These two people before you were joined in marriage a lifetime ago in an act of chivalry and with the passage of time and distance, it has brought them a greater understanding of what it is to love someone with a whole heart and what it is to pledge their lives to the other. So today they present themselves again in an act of love to renew their vows before God and this company."

_And it was going to be the last bloody time because he wasn't letting her go again._

"With that in mind I ask you, Robert. Will you claim this woman standing beside you as your wife? Will you love her, honor her, cherish and keep her? Will you forsake all others and cleave only unto her in sickness and in health, during plenty and sorrow, for as long as you both shall live according to God's Holy Law?

"I will." He exhaled on a breath and felt Holly's cheek on his shoulder for a moment.

The minister nodded and then turned to her. "Then I will ask _you_, Holly. Will you claim this man standing beside you as your husband? Will you love him, honor him, cherish and keep him? Will you forsake all others and cleave only unto him in sickness and in health, during plenty and sorrow, for as long as you both shall live according to God's Holy Law?"

"I will." From the tremulous sound of her voice, Robert could tell that she was close to tears and that made _him _a little misty_._

"The rings, please."

Rings, as in _plural? _Robert hadn't considered the idea of a ring for himself one way or the other, but he was glad Holly had because he would wear it every day for the rest of his life.

Mac and Celia each placed a ring on the minister's prayer book and he blessed them. "Lord, bless these rings for your children who stand before you. Let them be gentle reminders of the vows they make today and as reaffirming symbols of their love. Robert, take Holly's ring and place it on the third finger of her left hand and repeat after me."

He did as the minister instructed and as he began to put the ring on her finger, he hesitated when he was again struck with a sense of déjà vu.

'_For some time, I felt that you should have a ring. I actually bought this awhile back, but after tonight I realize that you probably realize that it's for appearances sake.' _

"Robert Scorpio, don't you dare." Holly chided him softly with a laugh and he gathered that she was remembering, too. But as he began to slip the ring on, where it should have always been, he saw the look of surprise on her face when she recognized it. "My ring."

"I could never bear to part with it." He told her as he gripped her hand. "Because it was a part of you."

"Robert." They were smoothly interrupted. "Please repeat after me."

"Sorry." _Don't muck it up now, Robert._

"It's quite all right, my son." He assured the nervous groom with a smile. "With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee honor and all my worldly goods with thee I share. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

Robert finished putting it on and repeated his vows. Then for good measure he kissed the finger that was finally wearing his ring again.

"Holly, please take Robert's ring and place it on the third finger of his left hand and repeat after me."

Robert watched as she handed her flowers to Celia and then followed the gentle instruction; picking up the ring before facing him. "With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee honor and all my worldly goods with thee I share. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

She took his hand in hers and repeated her vows as she slipped the ring on his finger which to his everlasting surprise; fit.

"For as much as Robert and Holly have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their lives to each other, and have declared the same by the giving and receiving of rings; I pronounce that they be man and wife together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder. Amen."

Robert had never been much of a praying man, but even _he_ couldn't help but think; _Amen _as Holly put her hand on his cheek and a single tear rolled out of the corner of her eye. His hand moved up reflexively to cover her slender fingers and hold them.

"Robert, you may kiss your bride."

_Gladly_, he thought as Holly's other hand came up to frame his face and he put his hands on her waist before he kissed her.

"It is indeed my great pleasure to present to all of you, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Scorpio." The minister indicated them with his outstretched hands as their family and friends stood up and clapped. He felt the firm grip of his brother's hand on his shoulder as Celia handed Holly's bouquet back to her. She tucked her free hand through his elbow and then they were accompanied back up the aisle together with Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"; which to the reconfirmed husband suited him well because the joy of _that_ man's desiring was reclaiming his wife.

And now their life together could truly begin again.


End file.
